Securing a child in a moving object lessens or eliminates possible injury should the object be forced to make unexpected movements. The primary purpose of securement is to prevent the child from being thrown from the object during a sudden stop. For this reason, a typical seat restraint used in a object wraps around the upper torso of a child's body fixating the child to the seat. Child car seats are but one example of a device used to secure a child in a object wherein the child is secured to the child car seat and the child car seat is secured to an adult car seat. Seat restraints are used in carnival rides, bicycle seats, swing sets, airplanes and so forth.
Improper securement of a child may exasperate an injury. A child is maintained in a child's safety seat used in a object by fastening the child seat to the object by use of a seat belt. A harness integrated in the safety seat is then used to fasten the child in position. A problem arises in that a child grows on a monthly basis making it cost prohibitive to purchase a custom object seat to accommodate the growth. The result is the use of child object seats that accommodate a range of child growth by use of adjustable harnesses.
Placement of a one year old child in a seat suitable for a five year old results in poor restraint as the child could slip through the harness thus affording little or no protection. Similarly, an older child may be too big for the child seat. The smaller seat may result in placing the child's head above the seat structure wherein the structure itself may cause injury to the child in a sudden sideward movement should the child's head impact the structure.
Even if a child restraint device is properly sized for a child, no provisions are made for support of the child's head during a sudden stop or collision. It is well known that during growth the child's neck is susceptible to whiplash due to lack of muscle support. If an automobile is required to make a sudden stop, even if no collision occurs, the weight of the child's head will cause forward movement. When the stop is complete the head may quickly snap back leading to injury.
Movement is not limited to automobiles and may be viewed at any playground. A child placed on a swing may be pushed in a direction beyond the child's neck strength causing injury. Amusement park rides are yet another example of objects that are especially prone to this problem as the seating must accommodate a wide range of body sizes yet provide quick adjustment for entertainment purposes. In many instances a metal bar is pressed against the chest of a person with little or no provision made to comfortably secure a child in such a seat.
Neck support, or lack thereof, is further illustrated when a child falls asleep while sitting in an upright position. The neck muscles relax allowing the head to slump while at rest. This positioning can place the child's neck in a dangerous position causing curvature of the throat leading to improper breathing. The unsupported head may again lead to a dangerous situation should the child be subjected to a sudden movement.
One effort to accommodate stationary positioning of a child is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,292,176 which discloses an inflatable child object seat. The seat relies upon a seat belt for securing the device to a object with provisions for allowing adjustment to a support surface through an inflatable bottom panel, back panel, and side walls.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,348,037 discloses a safety device applicable to seat belt restraints. This device attaches to a object seat belt for cushioning the child against a rigid restraint by use of proportioned tautness.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,282,648 discloses an inflatable body and head restraint which operates like an inflatable air bag which automatically inflates upon impact. This device requires a gas generator and is not practical for use with small children where quick inflation may lead to injury in and of itself.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,292,176 discloses an inflatable child object seat having a complicated structure with a plurality of backing chambers forming a rear wall lined with opposing side walls. The device is designed to maintain the child in an upright position and cushion against side impact. As with the previous devices, this device fails to provide any type of head support and again maintains limitations of a fixed, rigid, inflatable chair with a harness sized for an average child.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,968 discloses a child's seat consisting of an inflatable seat member having a bottom wall, back wall and opposing side walls. A strap is used to maintain the child in position. The booster seat fails to provide support to the head and can further be reconciled with the object child seats as failing to provide a harness that does not fully accommodate all children.
Thus, what is lacking in the art is a safety device that provides a range of adjustability to accommodate various restraint systems.